


Let Us Cling Together

by sweet_symphony0



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Flirting, Kissing, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Sexual innuendos, can be read as platonic friendships or OT4, whichever you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27357337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweet_symphony0/pseuds/sweet_symphony0
Summary: “I can’t fucking believe this,” he said, his voice breaking, thick with emotion. “Oh my god.” He was keenly aware of the thousands of cameras around them, photographing their every move, but he was too elated to care. “Whatever happens, tonight, we’ve already won. All of us, because we met and we’re here. We did this together.”“Fuck yeah,” Joe said, sounding equally emotional. “You’ll always be a winner in our book, Rami.”“Our fearless leader,” Ben said with a grin, and Gwil nodded, and Rami beamed.“I love you guys so much.”---Rami, Joe, Ben and Gwil never imagined they get as close as they did on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody. They were friends, brothers, or as Rami liked to think of it, soulmates. Soulmates, in every sense of the word.
Relationships: Ben Hardy & Gwilym Lee & Rami Malek & Joe Mazzello, Ben Hardy/Gwilym Lee/Rami Malek/Joe Mazzello, Rami Malek/Joe Mazzello
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19
Collections: Two Years of BoRhap 2020 Exchange





	Let Us Cling Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maz_zello](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maz_zello/gifts).



> Written for maz-zello for the Two Years of BoRhap exchange! Thank you for your prompt, it was lovely! There's tons of platonic love here, with the barest hint of of OT4 flirting, but it's mostly between Rami and Joe and can still be read as platonic love and affection between our favorite boys.

Rami knew it should have alarmed him how well they all got along with one another by day two of rehearsals. There was no awkwardness between them, no ice breakers needed, no delayed pauses in introductions. Maybe it’s because they didn’t have time. The second they got their names out-

_“Rami-Joe-Ben-Gwilym, but I go by Gwil-”_

They were rushed into six weeks of rehearsals, forced to galvanize together into giving the performance of their lives. There was no time to settle into their roles, not with Live Aid being the first thing on the agenda. And having acted as a band for six weeks together, nailing the accents, the mannerisms, going through the live set over and over-perhaps it wasn’t strange how close they grew so quickly. 

Rami knew these people were going to be in his life for a long, long time. Of course, he and Joe had already known each other for a decade, and getting to rekindle their friendship on this film thrilled him. It hadn’t taken them long to fall back into old patterns, and soon it was like they were back in Australia, a decade of wisdom to help them along. Gwil and Ben were the most genuine, loveliest individuals, and they had a steady bond going by the end of day four. By day five they were calling each other “the band” in complete seriousness, and had a group chat with each other, a plethora of inside jokes and ridiculous memes. 

Rami was kidding himself if he said he didn’t love it. Because he did. 

They had a joint dressing room of sorts, though it was a more recreational room with couches and a TV, equipped with a mini fridge that was never empty because the crew kept it fully stocked for them. Rami wandered in after a day of filming, out of his Freddie clothes and wig and back to himself, to find Gwil lounging across the entire length of the couch. Rami didn’t even think twice before climbing on top of him and cuddling into his chest. 

Gwil remained unfazed, eyes trained on his book. “Oh, hello there.” 

Rami grunted, a low, tired sound. “Hi.” 

“Fancy a nap?” 

Rami grunted again. 

“On me?”

“You were here first, and looked comfortable. And you are comfortable.”

“There are other couches.” 

“Yes but they’re not as comfortable, obviously.” 

Gwil wiggled his arm out from under Rami’s shoulder. “You’re crushing my book.” He straightened out of the pages as he said this, but Rami knew there was no real malice behind his words. 

“My apologies.”

“Well, thank you,” Gwil said, and Rami snickered. “I promise you’re more interesting than a book.” He let his arm dangle down and let the book slip between his fingers, and it landed on the carpet with a soft thud. “Where’s the other half of the band?” 

“Oh, heaven knows. They’re probably napping in front of the drum kit again.”

“Shall we go find them?”

“No, they’ll show up eventually. I’d like a few moments of peace and quiet if you don’t mind.” Gwil laughed softly, the vibrations rumbling from his chest and making Rami smile. 

“That’s a good point.” 

“I have those sometimes.” 

“Rami,” Gwil huffed out a laugh. “There’s never a time where you’ve made a bad point.”

“Eh, you don’t know me well enough. And you haven’t seen me around Joe long enough yet.”

Gwil smirked. “Is that a challenge?” 

Rami grinned and hummed, thinking it over. “More of something inevitable soon to happen.”

“Speaking of Joe,” Gwil mused. “Is there…?” He trailed off, and Rami completed the rest of it for him, knowing what he wanted to ask. 

“Are you asking is there history between us?” when Gwil hummed in affirmation, Rami shrugged, a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth. “There is. Mostly friendship, though sometimes not. I’ll leave it at that.”

Gwil poked his side. “You, Rami Malek, are the greatest tease. An absolute, utter tease.” 

Rami smirked. “Isn’t that best, though?”

“No, quite frankly. Such a tease.” 

“Who’s a tease?” Joe asked, barging into the room then, Ben hot on his heels. “Hey! You guys cuddled without me? That’s rude. I feel left out.” 

“There’s another couch,” Gwil said with an air of something that suggested more. “You could take that one.”

“I don’t want that one, I want to cuddle with you.” And to prove his point, Joe tried to lay on top of Rami, who promptly shoved him off, smiling when Gwil laughed, like he was proud that he did something that Gwil found funny. 

Joe scoffed. “Rude, Malek. And to think we had something.”

“Oh, did we? Sorry, Gwil came along and that changed everything.” 

Ben guffawed and Joe squeaked, looking properly affronted at Gwil’s smug look. “Oh, I see how it is. Sorry Gwil, as much as I like you, I was here first.”

Gwil smirked, making a show of teasing Rami’s curls, who purred. “Sorry, I can’t help that he likes me better. Who’s he cuddling again?” 

“Still me,” Joe said, trying to climb onto the couch again and failing miserably so he gave up and sat on the floor, leaning on the back of the couch instead. “He was mine first.”

“Oh, he was yours?” Ben smirked in his direction, sitting down next to him. “Learn to share.”

Rami laughed then, patting Joe’s hair clumsily. “Love you Joey, you know that. You’ll always be the best guy in my life.”

Ben eyed Joe coyly. “Oh, “ _Joey_ ” is it?” 

“Yes,” Joe said. It was his turn to be smug, and he was going to milk it for what it was worth. “Rami and I have nicknames for each other, be very jealous. And only for each other, so don’t expect to get one.”

“Wow,” Gwil murmured. “Now who’s being rude?”

“Still you, since you cuddled without me.” Joe didn’t miss a beat, and Rami laughed again, still lounging across Gwil’s chest and making no effort to move. 

“I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”

“Oh,” Joe smirked, a shit-eating grin on his face, and Rami eyed him warily. “You will. I know just the thing.” 

\---

“Joe, no.”

“Joe, _yes_.”

“You cannot be serious!” Rami exclaimed, staring at the mattress and his red velvet Freddie cape. “When you said you wanted to take a nap I couldn’t tell if you were being facetious or not.”

“We are!” Joe grinned proudly. “It’s the BoNap.”

Rami groaned loudly as Gwil snorted and Ben laughed. “I hate you,” Rami muttered, slipping under the cape with a resigned sigh. “Alright, get in here. Who’s taking this bloody photo?”

Joe eagerly followed, Ben and Gwil squeezing in next to him, and they had Polly take the photo, all of them getting more into it with each shot, until they had a myriad of poses to look through. Joe knew that for all the professional photos they would take over the next couple of months, none of them-no matter how sharp they looked in tailored clothing-would compare to the ones he had on his phone. 

“Satisfied?” Gwil asked with a dry grin. 

“Oh hell no,” Rami said with an exasperated sigh. “This is only the beginning, trust me.”

“Rami knows me so well,” Joe said fondly. “I have so much more planned for us!”

\---

Joe indeed, did have more planned for them. “More” included band camaraderie nights, drinking games, bar hopping and of course, watching lots of queen music videos for “research.” At some point, he made the suggestion of group cuddling under the guise of getting closer, and really, Rami thought, someone should have brought up how that’s strange, even though it didn’t feel strange. Just another thing that felt right between the four of them, a sign of how close they’d gotten. Their recreation room couches didn’t have enough room for the four of them, but they squished against each other anyway: Joe tucked into Gwil’s side, Rami nuzzled into Ben’s neck, his legs tangled with Gwil after a very long day of filming. 

Joe broke the silence first. “I think we should take a photo.” He was met with three resounding groans of disapproval and he grinned. “What? Think of how much fun it’ll be for us to look at it later! And the fans will go crazy!” 

“What, and see us look ridiculous in our costumes?” 

“I think it’s a good idea,” Rami piped up tiredly, and Joe beamed. 

“See? Thank you Rami, this is why you’re my best friend. You’ve always supported me.” 

Rami beamed. “Freddie and John, Joe, Freddie and John.” 

“I’ll support your ideas too, when they’re not stupid, unlike now, for instance.” 

“Rude, Gwilym.” 

“Just don’t post any online,” Rami interjected again, leaning on Ben again. “He’ll take them anyway.” And Joe beamed because Rami really did know him. 

Joe held his phone out for a selfie, and then frowned. “Gwil, you might have to take it, I don’t have long enough arms.” 

And Gwil sighed but took the phone anyway, making sure to get the four of them in the frame, though Rami hardly counted as he was napping on Ben’s shoulder. 

Ben frowned at Rami, inching away slightly. “Oi, mate, don’t drool on me.”

“Huh?” Rami’s eyes snapped open. “Oh. Sorry. I’m fucking tired.” 

“Go to bed,” Ben made a quiet noise of sympathy. “Lord knows you need it, more than any of us.” 

“That’s not true,” Rami let out a massive yawn, snuggling into Ben again. “You all work as hard as I do.”

Joe snorted, leaning over Gwil to look at Rami. “Dude, none of us had a 6am call time. And then ballet lessons at 7am.” 

Rami sighed, shrugging. “Yeah but you all still have to deal with that asshole, whenever he decides to show up, and that’s hard work enough.”

Gwil groaned, leaning his head back. “Don’t remind me. How he hasn’t been fired yet, I can’t understand. We can’t work like this. And Rami, you most certainly shouldn’t have to.”

“Neither of us should,” Joe said firmly, frowning. “I swear if he throws another lamp at Rami, I’m decking him in the face. I don’t give a shit.”

Rami sighed, yawning again. “I don’t want anymore trouble.”

“It won’t be trouble, you’re not the one making it,” Gwil said, squeezing Rami’s shoulder. “Joe is right, it’s an unsafe work environment. And honestly, does anyone believe him? If his mother really is ill, I’ll feel bad but...at this point it sounds like a stretch for an excuse.” 

“Agreed,” Ben said. “I think we need to talk to Graham again, what do you say, Rams?”

Rami didn’t respond, his eyes closed and his breathing heavy, and Joe smiled softly, wiggling out from under Gwil’s arm. “We should take him to his trailer. He’ll hurt his back sleeping like that.” 

Ben pouted. “No, he’s comfy and warm, let him stay. Besides you’re the one who suggested cuddling like this in the first place, why move him?” 

“Because Joe wants to cuddle him by himself, obviously,” Gwil smirked in Joe’s direction, looking ridiculously pleased when Joe spluttered in indignation and Ben snorted. “He got jealous that he wasn’t able to cuddle Rami the other day and wants to make up for it.” 

“That is not true!” Joe said mortified, hating that he was blushing. It was absolutely true. “I just...he’s my friend. My _best_ friend, which means he trumps both of you. I care about him, is all.” 

“Right,” Gwil drawled, exchanging an amused look with Ben and giving Joe a knowing look. “You care about him. Right, my mistake. So it’s not that you've been crushing on him for weeks now without us expecting to notice.” 

“Sit down mate,” Ben said before Joe could retort, making a point to scratch gently at Rami’s scalp, playing with his unruly curls and smirking at Joe. “He’s fine, he’s out and if you move him, he’ll wake up.” 

Joe sighed, staring at Rami a moment longer before he nodded, tucking himself in against Gwil again. “Fine. You’re lucky I love you guys.” 

“We know,” Gwil said, tugging Joe closer, leaning his head on top of Joe’s. “We love you too. I could use a nap too, I think. It’s late.” 

Ben hummed and Joe closed his eyes, drifting off in a half semblance of sleep, and none of them woke up until Polly found them, looking for Rami. She didn’t have the heart to wake them, but she did take a few photos, sending them to Joe before closing the door on them. What Bryan didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

And later, when they were all swapping photos in their group chat, Joe knew without a doubt, he really did love them.

\----

It was over too soon, Rami thought, as he packed his things up in his trailer, glancing around to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Like all good things, this had come to an end, and he sighed. This was the role of a lifetime. The dream. He would never get to experience something like this again, he knew, and he’d made sure to relish every moment. But there were no more moments, because it was over. His heart ached thinking about it. He knew there were friendships made here he wasn’t ever going to find again, that this film had given him three people who were in every sense of the word, his soulmates. After practically living together for the last six months, he wasn’t keen on the prospect of them being away from each other, much less on separate continents. He had Joe, he knew, of course he had Joe, and thank god for him. Rami needed him more than he cared to admit, especially having grown so much closer over the course of this shoot. Joe was his best friend, but so much more. He loved him in a way that ran deeper than Ben or Gwil, as much as he loved them. He didn’t think he’d be able to bear being away from Joe for so long now. 

His phone chimed, and sure enough it was the group chat, with a message from Gwil. “ _Hey, is our fearless leader joining us? Can’t be missing a quarter of the band, that won’t do._ ” 

Rami chuckled to himself. That was another thing, he supposed, having to step up on set as a leader in a way that was never required of him before. It had scared him, but he was lucky to have the support of his boys behind him. Another reason he didn’t want to leave without them. 

_“No, we certainly can’t. I’m on my way.”_

“There he is,” Joe grinned when Rami pushed open the door to their recreational space. They were already squeezed in on one of the couches, despite there being an empty one across from them. “You alright, buddy?”

“Yeah,” Rami smiled, curling up next to Joe, practically sitting in his lap. “Better now, just finished packing.” 

Ben groaned. “Ugh, no, no talk of that. We’re going to stay here together until they kick us out.” 

“Fine by me,” Rami said, and Gwil and Joe hummed their approval. “The more time with you guys, the better for me.” 

“Aw, Rams,” Gwil smiled, leaning over to tousle his hair, and Rami batted his hand away, blushing. 

“Shut up.” 

“No it’s true though,” Joe said quietly, staring at his hands. “What...what happens now? I mean...we’re going our separate ways and-”

“Don’t even think about it,” Gwil said. “Band mates for life, we’ll make it work. We’ll make trips to see each other, and we still have that road trip planned for next week. God knows we’ve earned a vacation.” 

“Amen,” Rami sighed tiredly. Joe rubbed his back, and Rami preened, purring as he curled into Joe like a cat. “I love you guys. Brothers for life, honestly. You’re family now.” And he smiled at Joe. “Though you already were.” 

“Damn straight I was.” Joe leaned in and pecked Rami lightly on the lips, because he wanted to, and because he could. Rami beamed, kissing back briefly. “And I agree, family now. I love you guys.” 

“Well don’t leave us out, then.” Ben pressed an affectionate kiss to Joe’s temple. “Aren’t we all included?” 

Rami smiled at him, his eyes sparkling. “I”ll make it up to you, I promise. We’ll celebrate our last day of filming, tonight at my hotel room.”

“I’m holding you to that, Malek.” Ben smiled too, leaning against Gwil. “You better keep that promise.” 

\---

The white, crisp Berluti suit was sharp, and fit him like a glove. The satin and cotton and blend shirt was cool against his skin, the contrast of the black against the white was truly spectacular, and if he might say so himself, worthy of Freddie. 

Rami looked _good_. 

He added some finishing touches: a classic Cartier watch, a pair of his dad’s cuff links, fixed his hair a little. He nodded to himself in the mirror, taking a breath and he glanced at the photo of Freddie he had taped up on the mirror. Kissing his fingers, he pressed his hand to the photo in gratitude. 

“Thank you...for everything, you beautiful man. I hope I did you proud.”

He exited his room then, waiting for the other three to arrive, and he glanced outside to where Buckingham Palace stood, shining in all its glory. It was fitting, having filmed here, that their premiere for this movie would be in London as well. London had truly become a second home to him, and he was sad to have to leave once again, for the press tour. But Joe and Gwil would be with him, which made it slightly easier. All of them would miss Ben, no doubt, wishing he could join, but he also envied Ben’s shoot in Italy. 

“Ready, Freddie?” Joe asked, coming up behind him, clapping a hand on his shoulder, and Rami grinned. Ben and Gwil joined them, all of them looking equally handsome and Rami whistled. 

“Ready. How are we getting there?”

Gwil held up a set of keys. “Got ourselves a little ride, I thought we could all show up together, you know. As a band.” 

“Perfect.” They followed Gwil out through the lobby to the entrance, and stared at the shiny vehicle in front of them, all of them rendered speechless for a moment. It was Freddie’s Rolls Royce, the very same car they had used for the movie, and now it was here to bring them to the premiere, driver and all. 

“Gwil, you said a little ride, this is the opposite!”

“I can’t take credit,” Gwil said, tossing the keys to their chauffeur and admiring the sleek Rolls Royce in front of them. “Queen set this up.”

“Thank you, Queen,” Rami murmured with a grin, instantly recognizing the car from when they had shot with the same car a year ago. He slid into the backseat, Joe beside him, with Ben and Gwil taking the front next to their driver. “Ready for this?”

“Oh, _hell_ yes.” 

They felt like royalty, all of them, pulling up to Wembley Arena and seeing the massive glittering banner that read Bohemian Rhapsody and the lush, vibrant purple carpet. The moment they stepped out they were met with applause and cameras, and as they posed for photos in the front of the car, arms wrapped around each other tightly, Rami called out loudly over the roar of the blaring music: “Here’s the deal! We stick together, we don’t lose each other. We stay as a band tonight.” 

“Done deal,” Gwil nodded, looking at Ben. “Works for me.” 

And they did, walking arm in arm, taking their time as they answered questions from each reporter, all of them looking over the moon. If one of them got stuck talking to a reporter, they waited, never wanting to move unless it was all four of them together. If there was a night to present a united front as a band to support this film, this was it. They joined Queen and Adam in front of the banner, along with Allen and Lucy, posing for even more photos, their hands never far from one another. 

From there the night was a blur, a steady stream of people wanting to talk to them, get photos, finding their families in the crowd and embracing them. By the time they were sitting down to watch the film, the energy was buzzing through the room and Rami couldn’t help it. He stomped his foot twice, and gave a small clap just as the Twentieth Century Fox overture began to play, grinning widely when the entire stadium followed suit. 

_Yeah, this would be a good night._

Of course they ended up in each other’s arms after, a group hug once the film was over, crying and laughing at the same time. 

“I love you guys,” Ben laughed through watery eyes. “This is fucking crazy.”

“It is,” Gwil said, hugging Ben and Joe closer to him. “Let’s go get drunk, how’s that?”

“Fine by me,” Joe said, looking so elated. “Someone get Rami a gin and tonic!” And Rami laughed, throwing an arm around Joe’s shoulder.

“Champagne first, then the gin,” he said, beaming. “We need to toast. Let’s go find Queen.”

They did. And they celebrated. 

After they’d downed copious amounts of alcohol, they separated a little, going to find their families before eventually making their way back to one another. Rami found it amusing how each of them were drunker than the last time they’d seen each other, giving sloppy grins and kisses on cheeks that lingered a little too long to be considered affectionate bromance. 

They loved each other, as brothers or as something more, as soulmates, Rami had said. He didn’t know, nor did he care in truth, all he knew was that he loved them. And he loved that he did. 

They had gone through so much to get here, suffered through so much more than they should have, that this already felt like such a victory. This film had changed him, portraying Freddie had changed him completely, something he felt for the better. He owed so much to Queen and Freddie, he was glad to know all of his worries about letting them down had been squashed. Brian and Roger were thrilled; the film was more than a success, all of their hard work having come to fruition for this moment. 

Rami knew without a doubt he would remember this night for the rest of his life. 

\---

His bow tie wouldn’t stay straight, no matter what he did. The damned thing refused to budge, almost mocking him as it remained crooked in the way that he tied it, and he sighed as he undone it and redid it, his hands trembling. Sure, on the biggest night of his life, his damn bow tie was being a bitch. 

“Stop it,” Sami admonished gently, as he stepped over with a sigh to fix Rami’s tie again. “You’ve done this three times now.” 

“Sorry,” Rami’s throat felt like sandpaper, and he eyed Sami’s bow tie with some disdain, as _his_ was perfectly straight. “Just nervous. It’s…” 

“I know. You want it to be perfect, I know.” Sami eyed him knowingly as he worked with the tie. “And you miss them.” 

Rami sighed, looking out the window, trying not to fidget. “I do. I can’t help it.” 

“You’ll see them soon.” 

“Sami,” Rami’s voice caught in a panic. “Sami, what if-” 

“No, you’re not doing that,” Sami said, smoothing out the edges of Rami’s shirt. “You’re going there to enjoy yourself no matter what happens. You’ve won every award there is, Rami. Everyone loves this film, they love you. You’ve already won in our eyes. We couldn’t be prouder.” 

Tears sprang into his eyes unexpectedly. “Thanks. I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Sami said affectionately. “Now go, you don’t want to be late. I’ll meet you there, I have to pick up mom and Yasmine. Can’t have our nominee being late, that would be a travesty.”

Rami smiled, slipping into his jacket. “Certainly not.” 

Sami winked at him, a practical mirror image in his own tux. “You got this, Rams. Go find your boys.” 

Rami exhaled, nodding, feeling his phone vibrate from the no doubt of thousands of texts and photos his boys were spamming to the group chat. “Thanks, man. See you out there.” 

He checked his phone in the limo on the way over, smiling at the barrage of selfies and texts, all of them mentioning how they missed him in some form or another. 

“ _Don’t you guys look sharp_ ,” he sent to them, and immediately got three responses, laughing when he read them over. 

_“Our king! Where’s our man?”_

_“He’s on the red carpet, Ben, obviously. Where we aren’t because we’re not as cool.”_

_“Shut up, Joe.”_

_“We may not be on the red carpet, but we’re together, and therefore can make Rami jealous.”_ And a moment later, a selfie of the three of them popped up, and Rami was smiling so wide his face hurt. 

_“You’re right, I am jealous. I will see you guys soon. I’m not doing this without you, it wouldn’t be right. I couldn’t have done this without you.”_

_“Love you, Rami.”_

Joe’s answer was simple: a string of heart emojis, and Rami’s heart swelled.

It wasn’t hard to find them, they were all crowded at the corner Fox had reserved for them, outside the theatre, waiting for the telecast to start. Rami hadn’t gotten to see them before the carpet, being a nominee meant he was swarmed by cameras and reporters the second he got out of his limo. He posed for pictures on the carpet, feeling his phone vibrate even more, which he took as a sign that the rest of the band spotted him from afar, no doubt commenting on his attire. He spotted Brian, Roger and Adam walking the carpet further down and he and Adam shared a wink, grinning broadly at each other with “ _can you believe this?!_ ” expressions. 

There were endless cameras, endless amounts of interviews, endless people wanting to talk with him for thirty seconds. He couldn’t believe it. By the time he reached the cocktail bar, a glass of champagne in his hand, he felt so dazed, and he wanted to find the rest of his cast mates. 

Tapping Joe on the shoulder, he lunged into his arms when Joe turned and beamed, feeling Ben and Gwil wrap their arms around them too, and he thought he might cry. They were here, together, at the Oscars. A culmination of their hard work had led to this moment. He couldn’t be prouder. 

“I can’t fucking believe this,” he said, his voice breaking, thick with emotion. “Oh my god.” He was keenly aware of the thousands of cameras around them, photographing their every move, but he was too elated to care. “Whatever happens, tonight, we’ve already won. All of us, because we met and we’re here. We did this together.” 

“Fuck yeah,” Joe said, sounding equally emotional. “You’ll always be a winner in our book, Rami.”

“Our fearless leader,” Ben said with a grin, and Gwil nodded, and Rami beamed. 

“I love you guys so much.” 

“We love you too Rami,” Gwil said, still embracing them all. “I never thought I’d be here, so to be here with you lads is more than I could imagine. Thank you for this.” 

Joe loosened his grip, still holding onto Rami’s hand, though he raised his glass with his free hand. “A toast. To…” 

“To Queen,” Rami answered, following Joe’s lead too. “To Queen, as we’ve done a thousand times, and to Freddie, who we wouldn’t be here without. We love you, darling.” 

“To Queen,” Ben and Gwil chorused, clinking their glasses against Rami and Joe’s, beaming, and Rami patted his pocket for a moment, feeling the set of teeth he’d packed there for the night, and smiled, thinking of how they were going to see Queen open the show. How lucky they were. 

\---

He couldn’t breathe. 

_Rami_ , he thought wildly, _please don’t stand up if you’re not 100% sure they called your name._ But then Bohemian Rhapsody began to play, and people were standing, cheering for him, and he knew. 

He’d won. He’d won an _Oscar_. Fuck. 

He looked around wildly, spotting Brian and Roger first, and he pointed to them as he walked up to accept his award, kissing Alison’s cheek in gratitude. Taking in a deep breath, clutching the statue close to him, he stared at the audience in shock for a moment.

_Don’t forget to thank mom, first._

“My mom is in here somewhere,” he blurted out, and the theater erupted into cheers. He pictured his dad’s face in his mind, wishing he were here more than anything. “Oh, I-I love you, I _love_ you, lady.” 

\---

Hours later, well past into the morning, when the sun was coming up and they had hopped from after party to after party, taking countless photos, his family had gone back home-Rami slipped into his hotel room, statuette in hand, smiling at the sight in front of him. 

His boys. 

Ben, Joe and Gwil all cheered from where they were lounging across the California king bed that was his, looking entirely too much at home. All of them were out of their tuxes, draped carefully over the back of the chair or hanging up in the closet. Rami bowed playfully as they cheered and he had no fuss looking proper anymore, he was too tired; he slipped out of his tuxedo jacket and dropped it right there onto the floor like it wasn’t worth thousands of dollars. 

Joe snorted. “Rami.” 

Rami laughed and gestured for him to move in. “Scoot.” Joe obliged obediently, and Rami slid in between Joe and Gwil, tucking himself in like he was right at home, and he handed the Oscar to Ben. “Here. We did that.” 

“Pretty sure _you_ did that,” Ben whistled as he admired the gold statue. “Look at that. Your name is already on it and everything.” He passed it to Gwil, who hummed as well in disbelief. 

“You deserve it, Rami,” Gwil said, still looking it over. “She’s a beaut.”

“Where are you going to put it?” Joe asked as Rami placed the Oscar off to the side for safe keeping for now. “Do you know?”

“Not yet,” Rami sighed tiredly. “Hasn’t sinked in yet, though I’m sure I’ll think about it. Ask me again in the morning.” He nuzzled into them, sighing happily against them. 

“This feels fitting, don’t you think? Cuddling all together at the end of the Oscars to mark the end of the journey,” Ben mused. “Like old times.” 

“No one is moving,” Rami murmured. “I’m far too tired for that, and we haven’t been together in ages. You’re all staying here.” 

“Yes sir,” Gwil said, grinning. “Can’t argue with that.” 

“Also, I’m fucking _starving_. Is room service still going?” 

“Probably not,” Ben sucked in his teeth. “But I’m sure they’ll make an exception for an Oscar winner.” And Rami laughed again. 

“I can’t believe this,” he said, and he laughed slightly more. “I won a fucking Oscar. I did it guys.” 

“You did,” Joe beamed proudly. “You deserve every bit of recognition you’ve gotten, Rami. We’re so incredibly proud of you and we love you so much.” Rami smiled lazily at that, tugging Joe closer, who pecked him on the lips. “In fact...we’re so proud, we’re going to show you just how much. All of us. With cuddling...among other things.” 

Rami’s breath caught as his brain hazily caught on, glancing between the three of them and then staring at Joe imploringly with big eyes. “You better be serious, Joey.” 

“Oh, I am so serious,” Joe smirked, but his eyes were soft and affectionate, his expression tender and nothing but love as he looked at Rami, leaning down to kiss him, brushing their lips together. Rami instinctively kissed back, instantly going back to Australia and those days when he and Joe would make out on the beach. 

His heart was pounding, and he was keenly aware of the hands in his hair, stroking the curls free from the gel, another pair of hands undoing his bow tie that had refused to stay straight. He moaned slightly. 

“You’re serious?” And he looked between Ben and Gwill just to be sure, thinking how this should be weird, but after everything and how close they’d gotten, maybe it wasn’t that weird after all. 

Joe kissing him again was all the affirmation he needed, and he suddenly couldn’t think of anything else. “God, I love you guys.”

“We love you too.” 

\---

**Author's Note:**

> This made me emotional to write, so I really hope that comes through when you read it! I love these boys and their friendship, it's so obvious how much they absolutely adore each other. Comments are absolutely welcome, please let me know what you guys think!


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